RULE 3:2. Contents Of Complaint, Arrest Warrant And Summons

(a) Complaint. The complaint shall be a written statement of the essential facts constituting the offense charged made on a form approved by the Administrative Director of the Courts. All complaints except complaints for traffic offenses, as defined in R. 7:2-1 where made on Uniform Traffic Tickets and complaints for non-indictable offenses made on the Special Form of Complaint and Summons, shall be by certification or on oath before a judge or other person authorized by N.J.S.A. 2B:12-21 to take complaints. The clerk or deputy clerk, municipal court administrator or deputy court administrator shall accept for filing any complaint made by any person.

(b) Forwarding of Indictable Complaints to Prosecutor and Criminal Division Manager. Where the complaint alleges an indictable offense, the complaint, and all available investigative reports, shall be forwarded to the prosecutor within 48 hours. The complaint shall be forwarded by the municipal court to the criminal division manager's office within 48 hours.

Note: Source-R.R. 3:2-1(a)(b); amended July 26, 1984 to be effective September 10, 1984; main caption amended, caption added, former text amended and redesignated paragraph 3:2-1(a), paragraph (b) adopted July 13, 1994 to be effective January 1, 1995; paragraph (a) amended January 5, 1998 to be effective February 1, 1998.

3:2-2. Summons

A summons shall be made on a Complaint-Summons (CDR-1) form, a Uniform Traffic Ticket, or a Special Form of Complaint and Summons. The summons shall be directed to the person named in the complaint, requiring that person to appear before the court in which the complaint is made at a stated time and place and shall inform the person that an arrest warrant will be issued for failure to appear. The summons shall be signed by the judicial or law enforcement officer issuing it. An electronic entry of the signature of the law enforcement officer shall be equivalent to and have the same force and effect as an original signature.

Note: Adopted July 13, 1994 to be effective January 1, 1995; amended July 27, 2006 to be effective September 1, 2006.

3:2-3. Arrest Warrant

(a) An arrest warrant shall be made on a Complaint-Warrant (CDR2) form. The warrant shall contain the defendant's name or if that is unknown, any name or description that identifies the defendant with reasonable certainty, and shall be directed to any officer authorized to execute it, ordering that the defendant be arrested and brought before the court that issued the warrant. Except as provided in paragraph (b), the warrant shall be signed by the judge, clerk, deputy clerk, municipal court administrator, or deputy court administrator.

(b)A judge may issue an arrest warrant on sworn oral testimony of a law enforcement applicant who is not physically present. Such sworn oral testimony may be communicated by the applicant to the judge by telephone, radio or other means of electronic communication.

The judge shall administer the oath to the applicant. Subsequent to taking the oath, the applicant must identify himself or herself, and read verbatim the Complaint-Warrant (CDR2) and any supplemental affidavit that establishes probable cause for the issuance of an arrest warrant. If the facts necessary to establish probable cause are contained entirely on the Complaint-Warrant (CDR2) and/or supplemental affidavit, the judge need not make a contemporaneous written or electronic recordation of the facts in support of probable cause. If the law enforcement officer provides additional sworn oral testimony in support of probable cause, the judge shall contemporaneously record such sworn oral testimony by means of a tape-recording device or stenographic machine, if such are available; otherwise, adequate longhand notes summarizing the contents of the law enforcement applicant's testimony shall be made by the judge. This sworn testimony shall be deemed to be an affidavit, or a supplemental affidavit, for the purposes of issuance of an arrest warrant.

An arrest warrant may issue if the judge is satisfied that probable cause exists for issuing the warrant. On approval, the judge shall memorialize the date, time, defendant's name, complaint number, the basis for the probable cause determination and any other specific terms of the authorization. That memorialization shall be either by means of a tape-recording device, stenographic machine, or by adequate longhand notes. Thereafter, the judge shall direct the applicant to print his or her name, the date and time of the warrant, followed by the phrase "By Officer _______, per telephonic authorization by ______" on the Complaint/Warrant (CDR-2) form. Within 48 hours the applicant shall deliver to the judge, either in person or via facsimile transmission, the signed Complaint-Warrant (CDR-2) and any supporting affidavit. The judge shall verify the accuracy of these documents by affixing his or her signature to the Complaint-Warrant (CDR-2). Procedures authorizing issuance of restraining orders pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5.7 ("Drug Offender Restraining Order Act of 1999") and N.J.S.A. 2C:14-12 ("Nicole's Law") by electronic communication are governed by R. 3:26-1(g).

Note: Adopted July 13, 1994 to be effective January 1, 1995; original text of rule amended and designated as paragraph (a) and new paragraph (b) added July 28, 2004 to be effective September 1, 2004; paragraph (b) amended July 9, 2013 to be effective September 1, 2013.